deceased 1 of 3

deceased

2 of 3

verb

past tense of decease

deceased

3 of 3

noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective deceased contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of deceased are dead, defunct, departed, and late. While all these words mean "devoid of life," deceased, departed, and late apply to persons who have died recently. deceased is the preferred term in legal use.

the estate of the deceased

Where would dead be a reasonable alternative to deceased?

While in some cases nearly identical to deceased, dead applies literally to what is deprived of vital force but is used figuratively of anything that has lost any attribute (such as energy, activity, radiance) suggesting life.

a dead, listless performance

When is defunct a more appropriate choice than deceased?

The meanings of defunct and deceased largely overlap; however, defunct stresses cessation of active existence or operation.

a defunct television series

When could departed be used to replace deceased?

The words departed and deceased can be used in similar contexts, but departed is used usually as a euphemism.

our departed sister

When is it sensible to use late instead of deceased?

Although the words late and deceased have much in common, late is used especially with reference to a person in a specific relation or status.

the company's late president

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of deceased
Adjective
GEDMatch is one of the databases used by the DNA Doe project, a non-profit that works to name the deceased who remain unidentified. Crimesider Staff, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2018
Verb
The plan was for the remains and DNA of more than 70 deceased people to be included on a lunar lander bound for the moon. Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 27 June 2025 Israel has negotiated the return of 148 hostages so far, though eight of those hostages were deceased. Mackenzie Thomas, The Washington Examiner, 24 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for deceased
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deceased
Adjective
  • The cause of death has been revealed for a social media influencer who was found dead near an Arizona trailhead after being reported missing.
    Pilar Arias, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2025
  • Topline Authorities reportedly identified the man suspected of killing two firefighters and injuring another in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho—after he was found dead next to the sniper rifle believed to be used to ambush firefighters responding to a wildfire.
    Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
Verb
  • An American Airlines worker died after they were struck by a ramp vehicle on the tarmac at an airport on Monday morning.
    Barbara A. Perry, Newsweek, 28 Jan. 2025
  • Since the flames set a blaze, 27 people died and thousands of structures were destroyed, displacing entire communities.
    Charna Flam, People.com, 28 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Interestingly, the remains of the decedent were also cremated.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 23 June 2025
  • Also note that some countries (like the U.S.) have estate taxes, which apply to the decedent’s estate, while others have inheritance taxes, imposed on beneficiaries.
    Tom Zachystal, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
Verb
  • Cline never released a duet or other collaboration, and the new album features nine, including one with Cowboy Copas, who perished in the plane crash with Cline (along with fellow Opry star Hawkshaw Hawkins and Cline’s manager, Randy Hughes).
    Nancy Kruh, People.com, 12 Apr. 2025
  • At least two former Major League Baseball players also perished in the disaster.
    Max Saltman, CNN Money, 10 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The scene is absurd to the point of funny—four men in tight quarters with an exposed corpse and yet affably disinterested.
    Diana Arterian June 16, Literary Hub, 16 June 2025
  • One, set in a natural history museum, involves fossils; there’s a locked room mystery (with a mystery writer for a victim), which delights Patience, an Agatha Christie fan, and there’s a corpse that seemingly walks off a table in the morgue.
    Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2025
Adjective
  • Advertisement Advertisement Oklahoma City blew a late lead in Game 1 of the Finals—allowing Indiana to steal a win on OKC’s home floor—making its championship quest that much more difficult.
    Sean Gregory, Time, 23 June 2025
  • And Studio’s latest commission, a rehabbed midcentury home tucked in a bohemian enclave of Laurel Canyon.
    Leonora Epstein, Architectural Digest, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • Presidents before Trump have been felled by the Middle East, and Trump has had some successes with Ukraine, most notably the signing of a mineral rights deal with Kyiv.
    Rema Rahman - 06, The Hill, 13 June 2025
  • In 2016, police investigators confirmed that a 300-meter-high (nearly 1,000 feet) telecommunications mast in southwestern Sweden was intentionally felled, leaving around 85,000 households without TV broadcasts and affecting emergency announcements.
    Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
Adjective
  • The area, which also includes the Mann Chinese Theater with its famous footprints of departed stars, also has the classic El Capitan theater, owned by Disney.
    Michael Goldstein, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
  • But with Harden, Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac taking the majority of the shots instead of the departed Paul George and a rehabilitating Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers score 45.9 percent of their points in the paint (fifth in NBA).
    Law Murray, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Deceased.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceased. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.

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